The Bengals had a real decision on their hands in the 2021 NFL Draft: keep Joe Burrow happy by bringing in LSU wideout Ja’Marr Chase, or give their franchise quarterback a blue-chip left tackle in Penei Sewell. It was a crossroads pick, and in the end Cincinnati went with the receiver. Even with the loss of Sewell still hanging around, Chase has already made that choice look like one of the best in franchise history at No. 5 overall a half-decade ago.
Since then, Chase has kept stacking up proof that the Bengals got the call right. His game has sharpened, his timing with Burrow has only gotten tighter, and he’s settled in as one of the NFL’s premier players at his position. If you’re looking for the clearest sign of where he stands, ESPN’s annual survey of NFL coaches, execs and scouts says plenty: Chase pulled 70% of the first-place votes in a ranking of the league’s top wideouts.
Jeremy Fowler’s reporting included a few numbers that explain why Chase keeps drawing that kind of respect. “He looks different than everybody else with the ball in his hands.
[...] Chase's 6,837 receiving yards are the second-most by any player within his first five seasons in NFL history.
[...] [His] 19 touchdowns of 40-plus yards are the most in the NFL -- six more than the next-closest player (Tyreek Hill).
And his 29 receptions against press coverage topped the NFL in 2025, highlighting his response when challenged at the line.”
That kind of praise wasn’t limited to the stat sheet. One NFL head coach said of Chase, “He's the best I've gone against...
He can break it for 80 [yards] at any time.” Another coach pointed to the inside-out versatility Chase has shown more often over the last two seasons.
Not everyone’s list lines up the same way, though. PFF had Chase at No. 4 in its receiver rankings, behind Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Justin Jefferson.
But even that placement doesn’t really dent the bigger point: Chase’s case is built on a complete skill set that’s hard to match. Nacua’s athleticism doesn’t measure up.
Smith-Njigba is a terrific player, but Chase can make a case over him in just about every area. Jefferson still belongs in the conversation, even if bad quarterback play has worked against him lately.
At the core of it, Chase wins because he’s simply better than everyone else in too many ways to ignore. He’s outstanding in the air, and even more dangerous once the ball is in his hands.
The first tackler usually isn’t bringing him down, and he doesn’t go quietly after the catch. He’s built to punish defenders, whether that means powering through weak tackle attempts or making somebody miss with a sharp juke.
His route work is part of the package, too. Chase changes speeds so well that defenders can get lulled, then suddenly left behind when he hits another gear.
He can accelerate in a blink, and he keeps that burst even after running 30 to 40 yards on a play. That’s a big reason so many of his touchdowns go the distance.
A Next Gen Stats note from January 2, 2022, captured one of those monster performances: Ja’Marr Chase gained 155 of his 266 receiving yards after the catch, +105 YAC over expected, the most YACOE in a game in the NGS era since 2016. The same post noted that Chase was then responsible for the first and fourth-most YACOE in a game in that span.
And that was then. Chase and Burrow are better now, and the Bengals have a decent defense for once.
The scary part for everyone else is that Chase still looks like he’s got more room to go. He’s not just fast; he’s subtle and explosive at the same time, with the kind of acceleration and long speed that makes him look like a different species when he gets rolling.
He is Uno. He is Him. He is WR1.
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